Fattoria Moretto

Domenico Altariva grew up watching his parents work the land; so when he married and bought a house with his new wife, Albertina, it was natural that he also bought a little land that he would tend in his spare time. A salesman by trade, he was also an avid oenophile, so he chose to plant vineyards from which he made wine for personal consumption.

Domenico and Albertina slowly increased their wine production and turned their hobby into a full-time vocation, selling the wine in bulk to private clients. Right from the start they worked their vines with entirely natural products and made the most of their excellent vineyard sites. When their sons Fabio and Fausto joined the estate in 1991 the family took another step forward, building a new winery, acquiring another four hectares of vineyards, and finally bottling the wine themselves; and in 1997 their organic status became official.

The vineyards of Fattoria Moretto are located in the heart of the hills of Castelvetro, near the famous town of Modena, where a silt and clay soil gives fresh, mineral wines. The Altarivas also choose to highlight the local grape Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro by vinifying it alone, resulting in an intense, terroir-driven Lambrusco with a nose serious enough for even the most knowledgeable wine connoisseur.

VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION

• Charmat method (differs from the classic method as the second fermentation takes place in a large pressurized container, instead of in the bottle)

MISCELLANEA

“Moretto is to Lambrusco what Tempier and Terrebrune are to rosé. It reminds me of the best reds of Bandol and Tuscany, with herbs like thyme, and a sort of dusty mineral quality, like you find in some of the top Bordeaux and Tuscan wines.”